Listening is at the forefront of every "ways to improve" self-help, sales list I've ever seen. Easier said than done, I know and what exactly are we listening for? Sure, I know what the sales pros tell me, but when I actually engage with my client am I being selective and only hearing the good news they are telling me? Equally unhelpful is only hearing the bad news. Imagine if the only information you had to make decisions was based around bad news. What we should be striving for is actually hearing what the client is saying. The conversation can go like this, "Hey Marc, we really liked the solution, however it's not a good fit for our organization. Can we get together and discuss options?" With my hyper intuitive sales listening antennae all the way up, I might run back to my team and say, "Good news team, they really liked the solution!" If I only hear the good news, I can spin my wheels and waste time trying to sell a solution that my client has no interest in or need for. This happens all the time. I've done it, I've seen others do it, and like anything else the only way to hear the truth, is to practice, make some mistakes, and get some experience.
When I was first making sales calls, I always wanted someone to come with me. It was crucial for me to make sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing. Listening has been something that I have had to develop over time. This is the good news and bad news of the situation. Listening for the truth takes practice. You have to do it to get good at it and while your learning to do it and sharpening your skills, you're going to hear some really confusing things along the way. Keep at it, the payoff of actually understanding what your clients and prospective clients are saying is well worth the effort.
mas
08/14/18
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